


Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings

by Runespoor



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-14
Updated: 2011-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-27 08:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/293598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runespoor/pseuds/Runespoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They know Gotham is killing him slowly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings

"He didn't get any sleep last night," M'gann says in hushed tones, pulling on her fingers one after the other.

That's a human nervous gesture; Wally sees Artemis blink at it, and is glad he's not the only one who doesn't know quite what to make of that. "I asked him if was because of the Light, it's been on my mind too, if he wanted to, you know, talk about it..."

"Well?" Kaldur prompts, when M'gann drifts off.

She shakes her head. "He laughed it off. He said it was nothing. Like I can't tell - we all know it's not nothing."

"Last time he challenged me to a trick-shooting contest," Artemis says. Her voice is always that full-of-gravel thing that fits grimness so well, but this time her face is drawn especially tight. "I swear, any more of this and even the bad guys are going to see the bags under his eyes, mask or not."

That wouldn't be so bad if the bad guys managed to convince Dick he needs a rest.

Unfortunately, Robin's not used to that kind of concern from _his_ bad guys, so the chances that he'd listen to anything past the first couple of words, even from one of the few genuine _misguided guys_ among the Rogues, stand slightly under Batman's chances to get voted Mister Congeniality.

Fearless leader is doing the I-am-listening-and-thinking-this-through-but-the-situation-is-delicate thing that Wally swears he's copied straight from Black Canary. Conner is doing the same, but he's frowning - there's a shock - and the frown is getting deeper with every second.

"What's his problem, anyway?" Superboy blurts out. His hands are clenching, but M'gann reaches for him before they're fists all the way, and he relaxes under her touch.

Maybe Wally ought to fake angst and broodiness to get the same treatment... Nah, even the promise of M'gann hanging closer wouldn't be worth it. He'd try to choke himself to death after the first ten minutes.

Kaldur hesitates. "I'm... not sure."

"Maybe we could ask Black Canary?" M'gann suggests, but she doesn't sound like she thinks it'll work.

"She won't tell us, everything we tell her is in confidence," Conner says, with a tone of utter certainty. Wally would put good money on those being Canary's exact words to him.

"Then we just have to hope whatever is bothering him, it will not last."

Artemis cocks an eyebrow at him.

Okay, maybe his wince was a little not discreet enough. What would Dick call it? _-Screet_ sounds kind of hard to say. Not that Dick has been doing any of his habitual word dissection recently. Artemis has taken to throw him opportunities left and right, and last time Dick didn't take it, even Conner noticed.

She doesn't say anything, just looks at him, like if he knows something she expects him to say it, but she's not gonna put him on the hot seat in front of everyone.

If he evades, though, she's still gonna hunt him down and demand what that was. He's noticed about Artemis, she's got this weird Thing about lying or hiding the truth and about the team.

Wally holds her gaze, and gives the tiniest shake of his head he dares. Probably the others see him - Kaldur for sure, maybe M'gann too - but they don't push, and even Artemis visibly makes up her mind to let him off the hook.

Behind them, the TV starts blaring its hourly report on Two-Face’s trial. As usual they do a quick reminder of the damages of the spree that led to his capture.

 _“—seven casualties and wounding thirty more. His most high-profile victim, billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne, has been in a coma since the attack two months ago.”_

His second wince definitely isn’t discreet enough.


End file.
